Cleveland Cavs win draft lottery

NEW YORK -- Nick Gilbert and the Cleveland Cavaliers have beaten the NBA lottery odds again.

The Cavaliers won the lottery for the second time in three years and have the No. 1 pick for the June 27 draft.

Gilbert, owner Dan Gilbert's bowtie-wearing son, was on stage again for the victory. (And 10 years ago, with the first draft pick, the Cavs selected LeBron James.)

He won in 2011, a pick the Cavs used on eventual Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving.

The Orlando Magic fell back one spot to No. 2, while the Washington Wizards vaulted from the No. 8 spot to third.

Cleveland indeed hit the jackpot the first two times it won the lottery, earning the opportunity to select four-time league MVP LeBron James in 2003 and current All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving in 2011.

The Cavaliers, coming off a 24-58 season in which Irving missed 23 games due to injuries, had the third-best odds to win the top choice at 15.6 percent. Orlando, which owned the best odds at 25 percent after finishing a league- worst 20-62, will choose second following Tuesday's draw.

Washington wound up as the biggest climber after becoming the last of the three teams selected during the random draw. The Wizards had the seventh- fewest ping-pong balls among the 14 eligible non-playoff teams.

Charlotte, which had the second-best odds for the top choice at 19.9 percent, did not have its name drawn and will own the fourth overall pick, with Phoenix, New Orleans, Sacramento, Detroit, Minnesota and Portland rounding out the top 10.

Philadelphia, Toronto, Dallas and Utah were slotted into spots 11-14, though Oklahoma City owns the Raptors' pick as part of last October's blockbuster trade with Houston involving James Harden.

Cleveland will have the opportunity to choose first for the fifth time. In addition to James and Irving, the Cavs took center Brad Daugherty No. 1 overall in 1986 and Austin Carr with the top selection in 1971.

Whom Cleveland will decide on this year, assuming it keeps the pick, is still up for debate. There is no slam-dunk choice to go first overall, with Kentucky center Nerlens Noel, Kansas guard Ben McLemore, Georgetown forward Otto Porter and Michigan point guard Trey Burke all possible candidates.

The 2013 NBA Draft will take place at the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, on June 27.